Page 28, May 9, 1979 - North Shore News

_ MANAGER'S CORNER
Complaints need

firm policies

By GORDON SHAVE |

The most obvious factor in

dealing with the complainer

is the company’s complaint
policy - obvious, but: over-
looked by many merchants
and managers. For instance:

**A customer wants to.

return a dress,’’ said a store
clerk to the owner. ‘‘What do
I do?”’ -

If overheard by the cus-
tomer, this question will
create doubt, disbelief and
negativé expectation. Such a
question should have been
asked and answered before
the customer walked through
the. door.

The purpose of any com--

plaint policy is to get the
customer back. Mistakes
happen. Show the customer
they don’t happen twice. The
objective is to reinstate
confidence in the product
-and in the store. Nothing is

' more important. The policy

must reflect this objective.

Some policies are

influenced by the value of a

claim. The higher the value,
the more restrictive the
policy. With few exceptions,
it's a sure way to destroy
confidence in the business
and the product. |

Auto manufacturers
learned that lesson years
ago. Recalling cars to elimi-
nate defects has cost many

millions of dollars. But
cystomer confidence
improves every time it

happens. Indeed, in recent

years, ‘‘warranty’’ has sold
cars as much as styling and
economy.

Another policy influencer
is the number of ‘specific
complaints. If two or more
people have the same com-
plaint, a refinement in the

policy must be made at once.
Instant and unquestioned
settlements are mandatory.

(It may also require a change
of suppliers, an employee's
dismissal, a new procedure
or a discontinuance.of a line.)

The ‘‘value’’ of a customer -

is also a questionable
influence. No merchant will
admit to a ‘‘fish for one - fowl
for another’’ complaint
policy, but it happens. The
valaed customer DOES
receive special attention. It’s.
a mistake for the simple
‘reason a casual customer

may, one day, be a valued |

customer.
The effect your action will
“have on a .customer is
another influencer. Will
he/she be.happy or are you
just wasting time and money
on a deadbeat? Such value
judgments are _ intensely
risky and no complaint policy
should permit them. The
transient unsatisfied  cus-
tomer who complains the
loudest is the same person
who complains-to others. Can
your policy afford to risk the
**multiple factor’’?

Customers want three
things when they complain.
Your policy should include
them:

‘1. Quick action

2. An understanding of the
action

3. Fair treatment

If these_are a matter of
policy, with all but an
isolated few, you'll get from
customers the one thing you
need the most. Their good
will.

Next week:
complaint.

settling the

B.C. HYDRO
AND
POWER AUTHORITY

For Sale by Tender
As Is Where Is

REF. Q 560
OFFICE FURNISHINGS:
OP and SP Desks, tilter and steno chairs, filing cabinets,

CLEMCO desks, executive unit,

Grafting tables, index

cabinets, sofas and armchairs. metal and wood work tables,

coat racks, etc

- REF.Q561

_ BUSINESS MACHINES:

‘1 B.M. and ROYAL ELECTRIC TYPEWRITERS. Otympia.
Remington, Underwood manual typewriters Olivetti and Addo

X electric adders,

hand calculators, projectors, cameras,

drafting machine, GESTETNER 260, AB Dick Oftset
Duplicator, combination safe, etc

PREVIEW TIMES:

May 12 to May 18—900AM 3 30PM
May 22 to May 24 —100PM 3 00PM

LOCATION:

Main Floor Office Building, S East Comer Boundary Road and

Lougheed Highway, Burnaby.

Highway Ample parking

CLOSING DATE:

BC Enter trom the Lougheed

All bids due in the office of the disposal Agent. 3855 Kit

chener St

. Burnaby 8 C by 12 00 Noon 25

ay. 1979

- couver

Action to develop an
Estuary. Use Plan for the

Squamish Estuary and the

appointment. of an = in-
dependent review were
announced jointly last week
by the federal “minister of
fisheries and oceans, Romeo

vironment, Rafe Mair.

There were more losers
than winners on the Van-
Stock Exchange
during the week ending May

4, when 12.8 million shares’

were traded with a total

value of $17.9 million. °
In Friday’s closing trading

on the resource and

Grove

tudy of Squamish _ |
estuary announced

he two ministers,
recopnizing the sensitivity of
the estuary and conflicting
demands for its use, have
agreed to establish a
planning committee which
will include three levels of
government and private

’ industry.

The planning committee

will include representatives

development
Mountain States

_ board
(111,884

.Shares) gained .95 to 6.10;

Monte Grande was up .60 to
4.40; New Frontier and

Explorations cach
rose .10 to 4.00 and 1.60

respectively.

Other gains were Carolin
Mines (up .20 at 6.90),

-fisheries and oceans,
British Columbia ministry of
the British.

of the federal department of
the

environment, ’
Columbia ministry of

economic development, the
federal department of the

environment, the District of -
Squamish and private in-.

dustry.

VSE stocks close lower

~ Kandahar (up .16 at 78) and
Silverado (up .13 at .99).

Continental Silver
dropped .30 to 4.00 and
Consolidated Cinola was
down .20 at 3.60.

On the curb exchange
Avalanche rose .12 to 1.22
and Bianca Resources was

Until May 26th
Royal Bank branches

The ministers have ap-
pointed W.- Winston Mair, a
retired federal’ and
provincial public servant
now living in Victoria, as the

- independent reviewer. He is

to provide the ministers with
an independent review and
assessment of the planning
committee report when it is
completed.

up .09 at .76. Penn Energy
finished .22 down at 1.50.

In active trading on the
foreign exchange market the
Canadian. dollar plunged
from Thursday’s, 87.39 cents
U.S. to close at 87 U.S. cents
~ reportedly due to Canada’s
merchandise trade surplus
for March.

on the Lower Mainland
will have one of the

most competitive

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available...at

@ On new Personal loans of $2,000 or more,

applied for before the deadline, you can get

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es ee ee a
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if?

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